Zika virus cases in Latin America 2015-2023

In 2023, approximately 36,700 Zika virus infections were reported in Latin America and the Caribbean, down from 40,200 cases reported a year earlier. This represents an overall decrease after peaking at over 522,000 infections in 2016. Brazil was by far the country with the highest number of Zika infections in Latin America as of 2023. 

Tropical diseases in Latin America

Tropical diseases are illnesses prevalent in tropical and subtropical climates, where humidity and high temperatures are widespread. In 2023, there were approximately 402,000 cases of Chikungunya and around 4.5 million cases of dengue in Latin America, with Brazil accounting for the highest number. With more than 151,00 infections, Brazil recorded the highest number of suspected and confirmed cases of malaria in the region in 2022.

Zika virus in Brazil

Brazil recorded over 35,000 cases of Zika virus infections in 2023. With around 274,000 cases, 2016 had the highest number of Zika infections in the country during the period between 2015 and 2023. In 2022, over 40 percent of the Zika cases in Brazil occurred in Rio Grande do Norte, a state located in the northeast. With more than 370 affected children as of 2021, the state of Pernambuco had the greatest number of verified cases of congenital Zika virus syndrome (CZS). CZS refers to a range of birth defects caused by Zika infection during pregnancy.